Safety storage unit

ABSTRACT

A safety storage unit including a set of two or more storage compartments arranged adjacent one another, each storage compartment moveable between an open position and a closed position, first guide means attached to either the storage compartments or the storage unit and means for linking the guide means such that the linking means is moveable through the first guide means when one of the storage compartments is opened and wherein only one storage compartment is fully open at any one time.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the right of foreign priority under 35 U.S.C. 119 to Application Serial Number 2009100488 filed in Australia on May 25, 2009 by the same inventor, and to Application Serial Number 2009202679 filed in Australia on Jul. 1, 2009 by the same inventor, both of which are incorporated herein by reference in their respective entireties.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to a safety storage unit.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Present storage systems, such as filing cabinets and chests of drawers, enable a number of drawers to be open at any one time. This redistributes the weight of the whole storage system and presents a danger, particularly to children, of the storage system accidentally tipping over and injuring a person due to the increased moment that is created by the weight of the open drawers. In some instances fatal injuries have been caused. Furthermore, where a number of drawers are open, this can create a step ladder that children can use to climb upon in order to reach the top of the storage system. This presents a similar danger in that as the child's weight is placed on the open drawers, the whole storage system is susceptible to tipping. Furthermore, once the child has reached the top panel of the storage system, another danger is presented in that the child can inadvertently fall or deliberately jump off the top of the storage system with a possible injury to the child resulting.

There are existing systems for locking drawers, particularly filing cabinets or desk drawers that use a lock bolt and key arrangement. A series of vertically stacked drawers may be linked by a rod whereby all of the drawers can be locked at one time through the turn of a key in a single key lock. Such arrangements are generally complex and costly to manufacture and still present the option of having more than one drawer open at a time.

The present invention provides an alternative to the above arrangements and provides an improvement to the safety of users of storage systems.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to a first aspect of the invention, there is provided a safety storage unit including:

a set of two or more storage compartments arranged adjacent one another, each storage compartment moveable between an open position and a closed position;

a first guide assembly attached to either the storage compartments or the storage unit;

means for linking the first guide assembly such that the means for linking is moveable through the first guide assembly when one of the storage compartments is opened and wherein only one storage compartment is fully open at any one time.

According to a second aspect of the invention, there is provided a safety storage unit including:

a set of two or more storage compartments arranged adjacent one another and moveable between an open position and a closed position;

a first guide assembly attached to either the storage compartments or the storage unit, and

means for linking the first guide assembly such that upon opening a storage compartment the means for linking moves through the first guide assembly and is of a predetermined length to ensure that only one storage compartment is fully open at a time.

The storage unit may further include a second guide assembly located at a distance from the first guide assembly; wherein the means for linking links the second guide assembly to the first guide assembly and is moveable through the second guide assembly when one of the storage compartments is opened.

The second guide assembly can be housed within or attached to a support structure and the first guide assembly may be attached to the storage compartments. The support structure may be a rear panel of the safety storage unit or a projection attached to or forming part of the rear panel of the safety storage unit. Alternatively, the support structure is a post extending between a top panel and a bottom panel of the safety storage unit.

Each storage compartment preferably has a front panel, a rear panel, side panels and a bottom panel. The first guide assembly can include a guide attached to the rear panel of each storage compartment.

Alternatively, the first guide assembly can include a guide attached to a rear side of the front panel of each storage compartment. Preferably the first guide assembly includes a first set of guides and a second set of guides, such that the first set of guides and second set of guides are attached to the rear side of the front panel of the storage compartments adjacent respective side edges of each front panel, the means for linking is arranged as first means for linking and second means for linking, the first means for linking each guide in the first set of guides and the second means for linking each guide in the second set of guides, such that upon opening a storage compartment the first means for linking moves through the first set of guides and the second means for linking moves through the second sets of guides.

The safety storage unit may further include a second guide assembly attached to or forming part of a frame of the safety storage unit, the second guide assembly including a first set of guides through which the first means for linking passes and a second set of guides through which the second means for linking passes.

The means for linking may be a loop of material and each end of the loop of material is secured at a location removed from any one of the storage compartments.

The means for linking may have a portion substantially the same length as the full outward extension of one of the storage compartments that has no tension when all storage compartments are in the closed position.

According to a third aspect of the invention, there is provided a safety storage unit including:

a set of two or more storage compartments arranged adjacent one another, each storage compartment moveable between an open position and a closed position;

means for linking the storage compartments together whereby:

-   -   when one of the storage compartments is in a fully open         position, the or each of the other storage compartments is         retained by the means for linking against being moveable a         substantial extent away from a closed position towards an open         position of the or each of the other storage compartments; and         -   when one of the storage compartments is in the fully open             position and upon movement of the or one of the other             storage compartments away from a closed position towards the             open position of the or each of the other storage             compartments the means for linking causes the fully open             storage compartment to move from the fully open position             towards the closed position.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Preferred embodiments of the invention will hereinafter be described, by way of example only, with reference to the drawings in which:

FIG. 1( a) is a side view of a safety storage unit according to a first embodiment of the invention, showing a set of storage compartments in a closed position with a linking means linking a first set and a second set of guide means;

FIG. 1( b) is a side view of a safety storage unit according to a second embodiment of the invention, showing a set of storage compartments in a closed position with a linking means linking a single set of guide means;

FIG. 1( c) is a side view of a safety storage unit according to a third embodiment of the invention, showing a set of two storage compartments in a closed position linked by a linking means;

FIG. 2 is a side view of the safety storage unit of FIG. 1( a) having a linking means that is completely under tension in order to keep the storage compartments in a closed position;

FIG. 3 is a side view of a safety storage unit according to a fourth embodiment of the invention showing a second storage compartment in an open position and a support structure extending between a top panel and a bottom panel of the storage unit;

FIG. 4( a) is a side view of a safety storage unit according to a fifth embodiment in which the rear sides of the front panel of each storage compartment have a first set of guide means and a frame of the storage unit having a second set of guide means linked to the first set of guide means by a linking means;

FIG. 4( b) is a plan view of FIG. 4( a) showing the uppermost storage compartment in a closed position;

FIG. 4( c) is a side view of a safety storage unit according to a sixth embodiment in which the rear sides of the front panel of each storage compartment have a single set of guide means linked by a linking means; and

FIG. 5 is a side view of the storage unit of FIG. 4( a) having a second storage compartment in a set of storage compartments shown in an open position.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Shown in FIGS. 1( a) and 1(b) is a safety storage unit 2 that includes a set of storage compartments, in the form of drawers, 4, 6, 8 and 10. The system 2 also has a top panel 12, back panel 14 and bottom panel 16. A first guide assembly 13 includes a series of guides 18, 20, 22 and 24 that are respectively attached or secured to the back panel, preferably near the centre thereof, of each of the drawers 4 to 10. With reference to FIG. 1( a) only, there is shown a second guide assembly 15 including respective guides 26, 28 and 30 secured to the rear panel 14, acting as a support structure. A means for securing in the form of an anchor 32, is located adjacent the top of the rear panel 14 and a means for securing in the form of an anchor 34, is located adjacent the bottom of the rear panel 14.

In FIGS. 1( a) and 1(b) each of the guides 18 to 24 and 26 to 30 (FIG. 1 a) are linked to the anchors 32 and 34 through a means for linking 36, in the form of an elongate length of material. The elongate length of material 36 protrudes through and is able to move through the guides 18 to 24 and 26 to 30 (FIG. 1 a). With all of the drawers 4 to 10 in a closed position as shown, there is a portion 35 of the material 36 which is untensioned or is in a slack configuration. Generally the length of portion 35 is predetermined and is substantially the same as the maximum extension outwardly of one of the drawers 4 to 10. This is measured prior to installation of the overall system. The material 36 can be made of rope (such as inelastic non-woven rope), string, cord, cable, ribbon or any other suitable composition that is durable. The length of portion 35 is predetermined such that when any one of the drawers is in an open state, the whole length of material 36 is substantially tensioned.

FIG. 1( c) shows an alternative embodiment in which a set of two drawers 4, 6 have respective ends of elongate length of material 36 attached and secured at a back panel thereof, at anchors 27 and 29. A first guide assembly includes a pair of guides, in the form of rings or eyelets 31, 33 that are secured to back panel 14 and have material 36 extending therethrough. When drawers 4, 6 are in the closed position, untensioned portion 35 hangs from eyelet 31 and anchor 29 on the back panel of drawer 4.

With each of the arrangements shown in FIGS. 1( a), 1(b) and 1(c), when one of the drawers in moved to the fully extended open position, portion 35, and therefore material 36, will move to a substantially fully tensioned condition. With one of the drawers open fully, a further drawer may be opened which causes the originally open drawer to start to close, due to the tension on, and predetermined length of, the linking material 36.

An alternative arrangement is shown in FIG. 2 whereby the material 36 links all of the various guides 18 to 24 and 26 to 30, that respectively form the first and second guide assemblies, but is fully tensioned when each of the drawers 4 to 10 is in a closed position as is shown. The elongate material 36 in this embodiment is flexible and resilient such that when a drawer is opened, upon release of the drawer it will automatically go to the closed position. The open drawer may be held in an open position by suitable means to enable a user to let go of the handle of the drawer while maintaining the drawer in an open position. However, the tension rating in the elastic or flexible material 36 is such that no two drawers can remain fully open at any one time.

Each of the guides 18 to 30 may suitably be in the form of any one of an eyelet, eye bolt, pulley or hook or any material having an aperture through it through which the material 36 can freely pass. Each of the anchors 32 and 34 can be, for example, an eye bolt where a knot is tied in the material 36 against the eye in the anchors 32 and 34. Alternatively it can be in the form of a cleat attached to the outside of the rear panel 14 with material length 36 secured in any one of a number of grooves of the cleat.

With reference to FIG. 3 there is shown an alternative embodiment in which a support structure, in the form of a pole or post 38; is secured between the top panel 12 and the bottom panel 16 by suitable securing devices, such as bolts, at anchor points 40 and 42. The figure shows drawer 6 already in a fully extended open position whilst the other drawers 4, 8 and 10 are retracted to a closed position. Prior to attaining the fully extended position, the drawer 6 is opened from a fully closed position, such that the initial untensioned portion 35 in the length of material 36 is gradually tensioned as the drawer approaches its full extension. At full extension the material 36 is substantially fully tensioned with no slack portion therein. This keeps all of the other drawers 4, 8 and 10 in a closed position. When a user opens another drawer, such as drawer 8, it will retract drawer 6 inwardly as the tension is now being applied to the length of material 36 from guide 22 with the movement of drawer 8 outwardly.

The advantage of the post 38 is that it can have anchors 32 and 34 attached thereto without the need to apply the fittings to the back panel 14. This can be used for newly built storage units, whereas the embodiments as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 can be retrofitted to existing storage units.

Shown in FIG. 4( a) is a further embodiment of the invention whereby the rear face of the front panel of each drawer 4 to 10 is used to locate a guide, and more particularly a first guide assembly in the form of a pair of guides (see FIG. 4 b), adjacent the edges of each of the front panels of the drawers 4 to 10. Thus for example guides 44, 46, 48 and 50 form a first set of guides 53 in the first guide assembly and are respectively attached to the rear face of the front panels of drawers 4 to 10. Referring to FIG. 4 b an additional guide is attached to each of the drawers, such as guide 45, forming part of a second set of guides in the first guide assembly and which is attached to the rear face of the front panel of drawer 4. Similarly other (not shown) guides are attached to the other drawers 6, 8 and 10 all forming part of the second set of guides. An additional second guide assembly 55 formed of first set of guides 60, 62 and 64 is attached to one side of the frame of the storage unit 2 directly behind the front panel of the drawers 4 to 10. A similar second set of guides of the second guide assembly is also attached (not shown) on the other side of the frame of the storage unit 2. Each of guides 44, 46, 48 and 50 and 60, 62 and 64 are linked by a separate first means for linking while those guides on the other side of the drawers and frame are linked by a second means for linking. Both first and second means for linking are in the form of an elongate length of material, and are secured to the frame of the storage unit at respective anchor points 54 and 56, and equivalent anchor points (a top anchor point 47 only is shown in FIG. 4 b) on the other side of the storage unit. As with previous embodiments both means for linking, for example material length 52, have an initially slack portion 51 of material substantially the same length as the maximum extension outwardly of one of the drawers 4. As is shown in FIG. 5 when one of the drawers, for example second drawer 6, is extended, the slackness in portion 51 is taken up by the tension applied through the outward extension of drawer 6 through guide 46. With the arrangement shown in FIG. 5, by opening up one drawer, the other drawers will remain closed.

In FIG. 4( c), a first guide assembly formed of a first set of guides 44, 46, 48 and 50 are respectively attached to the rear of the front panel of each of drawers 4, 6, 8 and 10 adjacent one edge thereof. Similarly a second set of guides of the first guide assembly are attached adjacent the other edge of each of the drawers on the rear face of the drawers. An untensioned portion 51 exists when all drawers 4 to 10 are closed. When any of the drawers are opened to a full extent, the portion 51 gradually becomes tensioned. At full extension of one drawer, another drawer can be opened which forces the originally opened drawer to move to its closed position, due to the tension in the length of material 52.

With all of the embodiments, a smooth fixture can be attached to edges of the drawers that come into contact with the means for linking, so as to prevent unnecessary wear on the means for linking.

It is to be understood that various alterations, modifications and/or additions may be made to the features of the preferred embodiments of the invention as herein described without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. 

1. A safety storage unit including: a set of two or more storage compartments arranged adjacent one another, each storage compartment moveable between an open position and a closed position; first guide assembly attached to either the storage compartments or the storage unit; means for linking the first guide assembly such that the means for linking is moveable through the first guide assembly when one of the storage compartments is opened and wherein only one storage compartment is fully open at any one time.
 2. A safety storage unit according to claim 1 wherein the means for linking is of a predetermined length to ensure that only one storage compartment is fully open at a time.
 3. A safety storage unit according to claim 1 further including a second guide assembly located at a distance from the first guide assembly; wherein the means for linking links the second guide assembly to the first guide assembly and is moveable through the second guide assembly when one of the storage compartments is opened.
 4. A safety storage unit according to claim 3 wherein the second guide assembly is housed within or attached to a support structure and the first guide assembly is attached to the storage compartments.
 5. A safety storage unit according to claim 4 wherein the support structure is a rear panel of the safety storage unit or a projection attached to or forming part of the rear panel of the safety storage unit.
 6. A safety storage unit according to claim 4 wherein the support structure is a post extending between a top panel and a bottom panel of the safety storage unit.
 7. A safety storage unit according to claim 1 wherein each storage compartment has a front panel, a rear panel, side panels and a bottom panel.
 8. A safety storage unit according to claim 7 wherein the first guide assembly includes a guide attached to the rear panel of each storage compartment.
 9. A safety storage unit according to claim 7 wherein the first guide assembly includes a guide attached to a rear side of the front panel of each storage compartment.
 10. A safety storage unit according to claim 7 wherein the first guide assembly includes a first set of guides and a second set of guides, such that the first set of guides and second set of guides are attached to the rear side of the front panel of the storage compartments adjacent respective side edges of each front panel, the means for linking is arranged as first means for linking and second means for linking, the first means for linking each guide in the first set of guides and the second means for linking each guide in the second set of guides, such that upon opening a storage compartment the first means for linking moves through the first set of guides and the second means for linking moves through the second set of guides.
 11. A safety storage unit according to claim 10 further including a second guide assembly attached to or forming part of a frame of the safety storage unit, the second guide assembly including a first set of guides through which the first means for linking passes and a second set of guides through which the second means for linking passes.
 12. A safety storage unit according to claim 1 wherein the means for linking is a loop of material and each end of the loop of material is secured at a location removed from any one of the storage compartments.
 13. A safety storage unit according to claim 1 wherein the means for linking has a portion substantially the same length as the full outward extension of one of the storage compartments that has no tension when all storage compartments are in the closed position.
 14. A safety storage unit according to claim 11 wherein the guides of the first guide assembly and the second guide assembly are any one of a pulley, a hook, an eyelet, an eye bolt.
 15. A safety storage unit according to claim 1 wherein the set of storage compartments is a set of drawers.
 16. A safety storage unit including: a set of two or more storage compartments arranged adjacent one another, each storage compartment moveable between an open position and a closed position; means for linking the storage compartments together whereby: when one of the storage compartments is in a fully open position, the or each of the other storage compartments is retained by the means for linking against being moveable a substantial extent away from a closed position towards an open position of the or each of the other storage compartments; and when one of the storage compartments is in the fully open position and upon movement of the or one of the other storage compartments away from a closed position towards the open position of the or each of the other storage compartments the means for linking causes the fully open storage compartment to move from the fully open position towards the closed position.
 17. A safety storage unit according to claim 16 further comprising a first guide assembly attached to either the storage compartments or the storage unit.
 18. A safety storage unit according to claim 16 wherein the means for linking has a predetermined length to ensure that only one storage compartment is fully open at a time.
 19. A safety storage unit according to claim 17 further including a second guide assembly correspondingly attached to either the storage unit or to the storage compartments, wherein the means for linking links the second guide assembly to the first guide assembly. 